A Lake in the Hills

I walked to this lake at the weekend. It sits in a hollow in the hills. The weather was a bit cooler than it has been as it had rained overnight and the morning was misty. But there were flowers everywhere and the feel of Summer which has come early. At the shallow end of the lake reeds were still standing from last year:

There was also some new green shoots of this year's reeds breaking the water surface, though they can't be seen in the picture. Further out in the centre of the lake  the big globes of yellow water lilies were opening:

In my flower identification book it says they should flower in June or July so that is an indication of just how early things are coming on. Over in the boggy ground at the other end of the lake, beneath the willows, I found some bog bean in flower, fluffy pink-white stars and three big leaves to each one.

As I sat eating my lunch I watched a heron fly over the lake, do a loop around once, then fly away over the ridge of the hills behind me. I also heard the call of another bird coming from the other side of the reeds, but couldn't identify it.

By the afternoon the warmer weather was returning and I took notes on what trees were in leaf. Oaks were out, and sycamore and beech, and on the hawthorns the flowers were about to open - May blossom in April!  But the ash trees were still bare. According to the traditional rhyme that means we are in for a splash rather than  a soak. But whatever the Summer brings I will be joyful.

Apple Blossom

The blossom is on the apple tree.

Other trees are making the hedgerows white. Flowers are everywhere in full blossom.

Last night a light mist drifted up the valley just before it began to get dark. I feel so glad, so peaceful, so much as if I live in a land of enchantment and magic that I don't really know what to say. Words don't seem to be enough.

But I do so love this time of year. I feel so much a part of everything. So attached. So enclosed. So free from care. So blessed.

Bluebells

What a glorious weekend it has been.  I’ve been saying that Spring is late. Most of March felt like it was still February. But April is beginning to feel like it’s already May. I went to the forest where the bluebells usually put on a display in May. I knew the leaves were already out. But walking along the path into the trees I saw this

A bluebell in flower!

Then further along some wood sorrel

And blackthorn:  These flowers come before the leaves, unlike hawthorn which is the very scent of Summer when it flowers later in May.

But what I still didn’t expect was this

So many bluebells so early. And there’s plenty more to come. Over the next few weekends the forest floor will be a carpet of blue. For me that is sheer delight

Lichens (again!)

My garden backs onto a field, so there is a farmers fence with barbed wire along it. The field has a public right of way across it in a direction I like to go for walks. So I have made myself a place to get over the fence. I wrapped some cloth around the barbs and tied plasticised wire around it to protect my legs when lifting them over the fence. The cloth has now begun to rot and it is covered with lichens of the species Cladonia pyxidata (sometimes called 'Fairy Cup' lichen).

They are a delight to me every time I step up onto the stone I have put there to climb over the wire. I suppose the cloth will eventually fall off with the lichens that are now a part of it. If so I'll wrap around another cloth and hope that this too will become a home for lichens.

Bath Time

Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)

I wrote on here a while back about coming home cold and wet and taking a hot bath. I have gradually turned this into a sort of ritual. I love to take long soaks in the bath when I have the time to relax. I invite the water spirits to the bathroom as the taps are running. I light candles for atmosphere. I don’t much like incense or overbearing aromas, but I do like lavender.

So I have made up some special bath salts based on recipes on Kim’s Blog. To her recommended mix of salts I add essential oil of lavender, dried rose petals and some ground-up leaves of soapwort and rosemary. I sprinkle this mixture under the running taps then lie in the water, giving myself up to the waters completely and stay there until it starts to get cold. I have also begun to set up a sort of altar in the bathroom with tea lights and images of water spirits and mermaids. So I can recreate the Water World.

Other times I shower, but bathing is special. It’s not just getting clean. It’s not even just therapy. It’s a communion with the elemental spirits of Water.